


frogs & fireflies

by neverwritingagain



Series: little wayhaught [3]
Category: Wynonna Earp (TV)
Genre: F/F, Kid Fic, Nicole is 11, This is really sweet i swear guys, Waverly is almost 10, Yes the whole gang is there
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-08-07
Updated: 2017-08-07
Packaged: 2018-12-12 09:16:46
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,390
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11734116
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/neverwritingagain/pseuds/neverwritingagain
Summary: Waverly is turning ten soon, and Nicole still doesn't know what to do for her birthdayfeaturing the whole gang being dorks (just because)





	frogs & fireflies

**Author's Note:**

> Hey there lovely people!
> 
> Before I start writing actual important stuff, I just wanna let you know I'm particularly insecure about this work. I like it a lot, that's why I'm not sure about it. 
> 
> But anyway, as I promised, I'm back with young wayhaught and their friends, because you seem to love them but trust me, I love them more. 
> 
> So, just to clarify how old these peeps are:  
> Waverly turns 10 in this fic, Jeremy is 10 too, Nicole and Rosita are 11, Wynonna is 15, Dolls is 16 and Doc is 17. 
> 
> Last but not least, thank you so much for the nice comments you left under my other fics, they're what keeps me writing <3
> 
> Have a nice read!

"And since they're amphibians and their skin is highly permeable, they can actually absorb oxygen through it"

Jeremy keeps the tiny greenish frog in his palm, while wildly gesticulating with his other hand. 

Nicole doesn't remember ever meeting anyone as passionate about small creatures as the boy. 

He stumbled upon the frog that same morning on his way home, and somehow managed to learn as much facts about his new croaking friend in the span of a couple hours. 

Now, of course, he's sharing all his newfound knowledge with his friends. 

Or at least, he's trying to. 

Both Nicole and Rosita couldn't make it to the end (if there even was an end), the two of them are now respectively laying on Waverly's bed and sitting cross legged on the floor next to said bed. 

Jeremy doesn't seem to mind their obvious disinterest though, he's got the most devoted listener of all times.

Nicole is pretty sure Waverly has caught every single fun fact the enthusiastic boy has been throwing around. 

Sitting right in front of him on the floor, the little Earp alternates between staring at him with genuine interest and petting the frog on its back. 

"That's why it's so important for them to keep their skin moist all the time" 

Waverly humms in agreement, like she understood everything he just said (which she did for sure, if there's someone who learns quickly, that's Waverly Earp) 

"I read there's this species that has great toxicity, these frogs are crazy colorful and could actually look really pretty, but touching their skin can be lethal for men since they secrete al- alk- what was it again, Rosita?" 

Hearing Rosita's voice is almost strange after what feels like hours of only Jeremy filling the room with any kind of sound. 

The girl doesn't even look up from whatever book she's reading "alkaloids, it's alkaloids, Jeremy" 

"Yeah, those. Pretty bad toxins if I must say. But don't worry Waves, these frogs only live in Central and South America, you're never gonna meet one in Purgatory" he says followed by a brief laugh. 

That's when the frog decides it's the right moment to jump out of Jeremy's grasp, and explore Waverly's bedroom, causing a lot of unnecessary chaos and way too much screaming from Jeremy's part. 

Rosita takes her chance to close her book, put it on Waverly's nightstand and actually looking at Nicole while sighing loudly. 

"Come on Haught, spit it out" 

Nicole looks at her with furrowed eyebrows. 

"You haven't said a word in about a hour and no, the ceiling isn't that interesting so don't try that excuse"

Ok, Nicole didn't mean to be that obvious but, what can she say? She's kind of feeling hopeless right now and you know, opening up to Rosita doesn't sound that bad so "It's-"

"Waverly's birthday is coming up and you have no clue what to get her?" 

How Rosita does that is, and will forever remain, an absolute mystery to her, but she's right and Nicole nods. 

"Jesus Christ Nicole, you're the sappiest person alive! Just get her whatever, she's not exactly picky, she will be instantly in love with anything you get her" 

"It's her tenth birthday, and I'm her best friend! I can't just- I wanna do it right, ok? She deserves it" 

Yes, Waverly is turning ten and Nicole's brain has been fuming for the past week, in the desperate research for something she could like to receive. 

It's just so difficult! Waverly has an infinite amount of interests, she finds a new one pretty much every other day! 

Rosita frowns for a while. 

Then she pats Nicole's leg from her position on the floor and "You know what? Just ask her!"

Nicole's eyes get comically wide "Are you crazy? I can't just go up to her and ask what she wants!"

"Not like that, you idiot. You gotta investigate a bit, ask her some strategic questions that can help you get some extra ideas" 

Ok, Rosita might be blunt but she's definitely right. Nicole will have to do that. It's her only chance anyway. 

"And I will help you get those answers, right now" 

Rosita is quicker that Nicole remembered, she's up from the floor and standing next to the door in a minute. 

"Come on Jeremy, I promised your mom you would be home before five" 

Jeremy, who in the meantime got his frog back, doesn't look pleased with the news.

A quick look to the puppy eyes he throws Rosita, and Nicole is sure they're about to witness the usual squabble between the two neighbours. 

"But-but we just got here!"

"We've been here for two hours, Jeremy"

"But I'm not done yet!"

"You can go on and enlighten us tomorrow" 

"But-"

"No buts! Let's go, that poor animal needs some water. Weren't you the one saying they need to keep their skin moist?" 

The second Rosita singles out science, Jeremy is up on his feet. 

"Has someone seen my jar?" 

"Your jar?" Nicole asks skeptically. 

"Yeah, so I can put the frog in it" 

"You keep the frog in a jar?" she's still skeptical. 

"Yup, mom always says that jars are perfect to 'keep stuff', and she's always right so"

This time it's Waverly speaking up "I believe she's talking about marmalade though, not frogs" 

Jeremy looks 100% confused but Rosita is a girl on a mission "Yeah, whatever. Here's your jar, now let's go"

It's at that exact moment that the four of them hear shouting voices coming from the front yard. 

Nicole takes approximately two seconds pinpointing who they are. 

Wynonna's friends have such characteristic voices after all. 

"Like she could like better someone called Xavier!"

"Oh, of course! Since John Henry is much more fashionable!" 

"Don't call me that ever again!" 

"What's your problem?? That's your name!" 

Their bickering is interrupted when Wynonna herself barges into the room, this close to opening the door right on Jeremy's face. 

"I swear to god, those two!" she looks right at Waverly "Little sis, never get involved with men, it's the worst" 

She then goes straight to the wardrobe and starts rummaging through clothes and heavy blankets, mumbling something on the lines of "where the fuck did I put it" 

Waverly, as per usual, doesn't drop the topic (she never does) "Don't worry Wynonna, there's no decent boy in this town. All of them are idiots" 

Nicole has a hard time believing Waverly completely gets the meaning of 'getting involved' but she's curious nevertheless. 

The older Earp is getting visibly frustrated with whatever she's doing but still manages to point at Jeremy on the floor "What about this one? You're always hanging out with him"

Nicole's utterly confused. 

Waverly seems to share that feeling "But Jeremy is not like that!" 

Seemingly distracted by, once again, his frog, Jeremy realises they're talking about him "I'm not like what-"

That's when the door opens again and Wynonna's friends get in (it's quite chaotic, looks like they're fighting for whoever gets in first) 

It's like Jeremy has just seen a ghost. 

His eyes land on mustache-guy, his jaw drops, just like the frog which falls on the floor with a tud, and for once in his life the boy is totally speechless. 

For a few seconds at least, since he's back mumbling incoherent stuff a moment later. 

"I know you! You-you're Doc Holliday! The guy with the gun!" 

Mustache-guy, or Doc apparently, looks simultaneously both proud and scared off by the tiny screaming boy at his feet. 

But, shocker, Jeremy isn't done yet "I've seen you, you know? I even know your personal record. 31 cans in a minute!" 

Just like that Nicole understands what's going on here. 

Everyone in town has been talking about it, these bunch of kids playing with guns and trying to beat the record of cans they can shoot down.  
It's not that surprising that Wynonna i-love-trouble Earp takes part in these clandestine games. 

It's even less surprising that nobody, not even the sheriff, in Purgatory decided to do anything about underage teens going around shooting with actual weapons. 

Nicole gets quite worried thinking about how Doc is the oldest here, and he's only seventeen.

But apparently, taking whatever Jeremy says for granted, mustache-guy is not that bad with a gun, so it's not like he's gonna shoot random people. (Like that time some other wannabe cowboy accidentally shot Tucker Gardner in the foot, not that Nicole ever complained about that, but still) 

Her train of thoughts is interrupted by Wynnona's scream of joy when she finally extracts, you guessed it, her gun from a drawer full of colorful socks. (Waverly's, by the look of it) 

Nicole's best friend looks at her sister in horror "Why do you keep that in the socks drawer?" 

"None of your business, little sis"

"And where are you going now??"

"I don't wanna sound repetitive but, none of your business" and like that Wynonna is pushing the two guys out of the door and down the stairs.

They can hear her screaming "Ok, now you two stop arguing or you'll both have a nice hole in the middle of your forehead by the time we get there!" and then they're definitely gone. 

Rosita doesn't have time to waste, she picks up the frog and successfully puts it in the jar, then shoves a still shocked Jeremy out of the room, saying a brief bye to the other girls. 

Before they get out of reach, Nicole hears Jeremy saying "That was THE Doc Hollyday, holy moly, Rosita what are the chances?" 

Rosita, blunt as ever, just goes with "Come on Jeremy, let's go home so you can fangirl in peace" 

Waverly is still staring at the doorway, she might need a moment to recover after that sudden turmoil. 

It doesn't take long though, a minute later she turns to her bed and seems to realise just then that Nicole is still there, her back leaning on the headboard and an expression the little Earp can't quite pinpoint. 

Nicole feels little hands lightly shoving her from the center of the bed to the right, then Waverly is sitting right beside her. 

"So, Rosita must really have been in a hurry" 

How does one respond to that? 'No Waverly, she just wanted to give me more time to realise that I'm a terrible friend and I still don't know what to get you'? 

Definitely too dramatic, so Nicole goes with the easiest way "She just needed to help her dad with something at the pharmacy, I guess"

"Oh, she's great with that stuff, isn't she?" 

Nicole just nods and desperately tries to make up her head and investigate a little, like Rosita said, but what does that even mean?

She's not the best when it comes to be smooth, this can't possibly go well and- 

Waverly yawns the cutest yawn ever and Nicole has to stop mentally rumbling to ask her "Tired?" 

She gets a 'yup' in response, then Waverly lays her head in her lap and curls up like a cat. 

It doesn't take long before Nicole starts brushing her hand through Waverly's hair, it's something she's been doing since she met the little Earp, since when she found out Waverly has a tendency to use other people as substitute pillows. 

It seems like the perfect moment, so Nicole slips in the most casual question she could think of. 

"So, you're turning ten in a couple days"

Waverly just humms softly. 

"That's like, an important number" she goes on. 

Seemingly getting rid of her drowsiness, Waverly turns on her back still laying across Nicole "Do you remember it?"

Nicole's confused "What?"

"When you turned ten. How did it feel?"

Nicole is pretty sure nothing really changed, but for the sake of Waverly, she's not gonna say that. 

"I mean, you're not only a kid anymore. Adults will always think about you as a kid, even if you know you're slowing getting far and far away from that title" 

Waverly is staring at her in a contemplative way. 

"Also, since you're a little bit older, maybe you'll get to try new things, experience something different from the ordinary" 

There's a pause during which Waverly curls up again, then she presses her nose to Nicole's leg and just says "I've never seen the ocean, maybe this year that will change" 

And oh boy, Nicole would take Waverly to the ocean if she could. 

Hell, she would even take the ocean to Waverly if that was humanly possible. 

But it's not, so Nicole is back not knowing what to do. 

And apparently investigation time is over, because she now has a sleeping Earp in her lap. 

"I really hope you can achieve everything you've ever dreamed of, Waves" 

She says this to no one, but hey, she truly hopes that, so it doesn't really matter. 

 

-

 

On her way home that same afternoon, Nicole has her head in the clouds. 

She's pedaling through Purgatory's main street way too fast (her future self would probably shout at her for being so impulsive and having so little self control) 

She's mentally cursing herself for always being so hesitant and clueless about what to do. 

That's why she doesn't notice someone is crossing the road right in front of Shorty's and she almost runs over a person. 

Getting up from the ground, Nicole instantly realises said person is non other than Gus. 

And, considering the crazy amount of glass shards on the tarmac, she was holding a full tray. 

Great, Nicole thinks, I just run over a old lady that was only doing her job. 

For some kind of miracle, neither of them got seriously hurt. 

Nicole has a bruised knee but she doesn't care that much. 

On the other hand, Gus basically drags her in the back of the bar to get a plaster or something because "You don't wanna get an infection, trust me"

Nicole keeps saying than she's willing to help pick up the glass from the street but Gus shuts her up every time, and that's how the little redhead finds herself sitting on a stool with a slice of pie in front of her. 

It's sad to say, but she doesn't feel like she deserves pie right now. 

After serving some tall guy, Gus leans on her forearms on the counter, right in front of her.

"Oh come on, what is it with the long face?" 

Nicole opens her mouth to answer but Gus in quicker "It's about Waverly, isn't it?"

"How come everyone just knows it before I even say anything? Are y'all psychic in this town or what?" 

It's a little outburst, not exactly her thing but right now she needed it. 

Gus laughs wholeheartedly "Nicole Nicole Nicole, you're pedaling crazy fast without even looking where you're going, coming from the direction of the Earp's homestead, and I'm supposed not to think it's about that little angel?"

She's right, not gonna argue. 

"Also, I've never seen anyone sulk so much with a slice of Shorty's pie this close to their face" 

Nicole smiles a little at that "Ok, fine, her birthday's coming up and I don't know what she would like to get" 

Gus nods, then scratches her chin a little pensive. 

"Or maybe you know, but you haven't realised it yet" 

Nicole isn't sure what she's going on about. 

"Tell me, Nicole, what does Waverly love the most in this world?"

"You see, that's my problem! She likes so many things!"

"I didn't ask what she likes, I asked what she loves" 

Nicole stares at the pie for a moment. 

She's not exactly sure about this but "...trouble?" 

Gus slams her fist on the counter, making Nicole jump a little.

"I've always knew you were a smart kid!"

She pauses for dramatic effect. 

"Now, eat your pie, there's a place you need to know about..." 

 

-

 

It's the night before Waverly's birthday, and Nicole doesn't remember ever doing something more trouble-y than this. 

Being as quiet as she can, cause there are people sleeping in this property, she gets through the homestead's gate, leaves her bike in the yard and practically tiptoes under what she thinks is Waverly's window. 

Frankly, she could have been a tad bit better prepared for this nightly mission and actually bring a torch or something, but she trusts her senses and she's been in this same place a billion times, she knows which window is Waverly's one. 

Picking up a bunch of pebbles from the ground, she starts throwing them at the window with not enough vigour to actually break it (already happened, already felt guilty for longer than expected) 

It takes a few minutes and Nicole whisper-shouting 'Waves' before the window opens and "What the hell- For Christ's sake, Haught, what in the in name of god are you doing here?" 

Ok, maybe it's not the best moment but Nicole can't help but giggle at the sight of a just-woken-up Wynonna. 

"What are you laughing at?"

She sounds (legitimately) angry and Nicole doesn't wanna burden her even more so she explains "Sorry, I was looking for Waverly" 

"Wrong window, Romeo" and she points at the window on her left, just when Waverly's little head pokes out of it. 

"What's going on- Oh, hi Nicole!" 

Wynonna simply grunts and retracts into her room, closing the window hastily. 

"Hey Waves, there's something I wanna show you" 

Nicole doesn't have to tell her twice, less than ten minutes later Waverly hops out of the front door, wearing only a knitted cardigan over her pajamas. 

Nicole looks at her questioningly. 

"I couldn't bother putting on actual clothes, I'm too curious!" 

Fortunately it's early August, and Nicole doesn't have to worry too much about the night being too cold. 

Getting a hold of her bike, she points at the pegs and then looks at Waverly who definitely got the hint. 

Nicole has spent the past days studying the path Gus recommended to her, the quickest and less insidious to get where Waverly's surprise is hopefully waiting for them.

Waverly doesn't seem to be able to keep quiet for most of the ride, Nicole just laughs and tries her best not to answer her eager friend. 

"So, where are you taking me?"

"I'm not answering that"

"Come on Nicole, just give me a little hint?"

"That would only ruin the surprise, don't you think?"

Nicole is going as fast as she can, the night being pitch dark doesn't really help, but Waverly's arms wrapped around her neck are a constant reminder as to why she's doing this in the first place. 

They stop next to a clearing covered in pines and at this point Nicole asks her to shut her eyes and "Don't peak Waves, I'm trusting you on this"

Waverly does so and then Nicole takes her hand. 

They walk for a minute or two, then Nicole stops and "You can open your eyes now" 

Waverly does so, and then she's looking up, but also at her right and left and on Nicole's shirt, because the little clearing is housing thousands and thousands of fireflies, all around them. 

They're so incredibly bright, Nicole wasn't expecting this when Gus said they all gather here in this particular period of the year. 

She's just as mesmerized as Waverly, and that makes the experience even better. 

Her little friend is completely speechless, only exhaling breathy oh's every now and then. 

At some point a firefly lays right on Waverly's nose and Nicole can't really tell what's brighter, the insect or Waverly's eyes. 

"Nicole, they are so...many" 

She would gladly highfive herself right now, but she doesn't fell like ruining the moment by being a dork so she just says "Happy birthday Waves" 

And Nicole was kind of expecting the hug, because well, that's something you do, but she was so not prepared for the kiss on the cheek Waverly gives her before sprinting off into a cloud of fireflies. 

She just stands there, arms crossed and a satisfied smile on her face, wondering what kind of beautiful creature Waverly Earp is. 

Looking at her like that, running after fireflies in the middle of the woods, she almost looks like a young nymph. 

So kind, so small and so full of life.

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading! <3
> 
> Was it terrible? Was it good?  
> Leave a comment and don't be shy! 
> 
> (Were there some lines you guys liked best?  
> I'm really curious about those)


End file.
